The evolution of virtualization techniques in information technology has led to a variety of applications, from cloud-based computing to embedded systems in mobile phones. In general, virtualization obscures hardware characteristics of a computing platform and instead presents an abstract platform that can host other platforms, including complete operating systems. One popular virtualization technique is to deploy a hypervisor (also known as a virtual machine manager or virtual machine layer) that can allow multiple guest machines implemented in the form of software (including complete operating systems) to run concurrently on an abstract host platform. The hypervisor can provide a simulated computing environment, often referred to as a “virtual machine,” for its guest machine. Thus, multiple guest machines and, therefore, multiple operating systems, which can be different or the same, can run in separate virtual partitions under a hypervisor on a single chassis, for example.
While virtualization provides many advantages, virtual machines are likely to become more popular targets for malicious attacks as the number of deployed virtual machines increases. In addition, virtualization can also present unique security challenges. For example, memory inspections of a host being monitored for malware and other threats are often invasive and can adversely affect performance of the host. Hence, many challenges remain for providing a secure virtualization platform.